Aiming to launch an indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by August 15, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has written to select medical institutions and hospitals to fast-track clinical trial approvals for the vaccine candidate Covaxin being developed in collaboration with Bharat Biotech. Twelve clinical trial sites have been identified at present and the apex health research body has asked the medical institutions and principal investigators to ensure that the subject enrollment is initiated no later than July 7.

The COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin, developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), had recently got the nod for human clinical trials from the DCGI. Noting that this was the first indigenous vaccine being developed by India, ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava in his letter to principal investigators of the 12 sites said that it is one of the "top priority projects which is being monitored at the top-most level of the government".